Quartile rating: 4.5/10 · 1 rating
A down-on-his-luck PI is hired by his old flame to investigate a murder. But while the case at first appears routine, it slowly reveals itself to be a complex interwoven web of crimes, suspects and dead bodies.
The Poison Rose is a generic neo-noir that fails to distinguish itself from countless similar entries. The plot is a tired, convoluted retread of classic PI mystery tropes without the wit or style to elevate them. John Travolta and Morgan Freeman are notably phoned-in, delivering performances well below their capabilities. The cinematography is competent but unremarkable, leaning on standard noir visual clichés without personality. The film offers virtually nothing new to the genre, recycling familiar Texas-set crime drama beats. The ending is unsatisfying and poorly executed, failing to bring the tangled threads together in any meaningful or surprising way.